FIELA'S CHILD

Friday 9th March
Completion of synopsis charts
Individual discussion on Essay titles

Wednesday 7th March
Supervised writing

Monday 5th March
Interactive Oral

Friday 17th - Friday 24th February

• Read to the end of the book before Friday 24th February
• Essay: 'How is the identity of the title character of Fiela's Child finally resolved?'

1000 words; Turnitin by Monday 27th February

Chapter 21:

• 'Why, God, why?' (226)
• 'Horses were in his blood' (227)
• You had to be born in that wilderness to be able to tell the difference between one turn and another' (228)

Chapter 22:

• He always chose to be an elephant ... 'I would like to be a rock alder' (231)
• After he had come to realize that he was Lukas van Rooyen and accepted it, things had been better ... In the Forest he learned that unhappiness was something you got use to ... (234)
• The milkwoods formed a tunnel ... (236)
• When, as a child, ... and he stood rooted to his tracks. (236)
• 'What ship is that ... how did it get there?' (237)
• '... there is no name on her.' (237)
• 'I'm not your aunt, I'm Miss Weatherbury' ( 242) ... 'I'll decide that for myself' (243)
• 'We get a lot of foreign seamen coming here ... I try not to think what might have happened to her ...' (243)
• ... the restlessness had to do with the boat (246)
• '... I'm not coming back. I'm finished with the Forest.' (251)

Chapter 23:

• He was reaching out for something that was passing him by and he knew that if he did not grab hold of it, if he missed the opportunity ... (253)
• 'It's no use changing your name when ill-luck is upon you already' (257)
• Kaliel's house (259)
• '... they changed her name ... thinking they could cheat the devil ...' (260)
• there were things about himself he did not understand—it made him restless (264)
• 'They say you have the evil eye if your eyes are crossed ...' (266)
• 'The captains are always on the lookout for white girls.' (267)

Chapter 25:

• Cain's mark ... / '... you're as marked as I am! You're a woodcutter and the Forest will cling to you for the rest of your life!' (277)
• somewhere in the fog ... / ... For a moment his body had forgotten that she was his sister (280)
• the fog was lying even thicker ... / ... a night of confusion ... / ... who was he? (283-4)

Chapter 26:

• Why would a ship want to commit suicide? (289)
• He had hoped she would say he must not go ... (290)
• 'They don't have money and they're not as stupid as you think they are.' (291)
• 'I did not determine my fate, Nina. It's a mystery that's destroying me.' (296)

Chapter 27:

• the five shillings (302)
• the prodigal son (302)
• a wasp stirred from its nest (305)
• 'Which one are you in your soul?' (306)
• she wrote his name into the Bible: Benjamin Komoetie. With a pencil. ... written his name into the book of the law: Lukas van Rooyen. With ink. (308)

Chapter 29:

• '... you handle an oar like a man from the sea. Who are you?' ... / ... 'I feel nothing.' / '... then you're dead' (323)
• The seaman was dead but he was alive (330) ... Lukas van Rooyen had died on the footpath (331)
• he was not looking for the ewe that had walked away from him, he was looking for the man that had acted god (339)
• 'Who are you?' / 'Nobody.' (341)

Chapter 31:

• luck that the child had been taken away from Coloured people (345)
• could have been a rich man's child (346)

Chapter 32:

• 'Go and put it back in the cave.' (348)
• he was alive and he could be whoever he wanted to be (349)
• 'It's a good name, an old Hottentot name.' (350)

Friday 10th - Friday 17th February
Continue reading the novel ...
As you read ...

• continue graphic chart of plot ... (I will check periodically)
• think about the significance of stories about animals ... especially baby animals ... in the novel ...
• look out for 'pairs' of events ...
• think about the references for each chapter that I shall post here: (we shall talk about them from time to time)

Chapter 10:

• 'Don't be a Job's comforter, Selling! We must have faith.' (97)
• The magistrate had said that from now on he was white again. He had always been white. (102)
• They opened the box and ate some of the food his mother had packed. (103)

Chapter 11:

• 'You just have to see that you don't get between a tigress and her young' (111)
• Daniel in the lions' den. (114)
• Prince Alfred had come to shoot an elephant in the forest. (119)

Homework:

• Read to the end of Chapter 11 (p.119) before Monday 13th February

Chapter 12:

• Nina's 'secret'
• when he was twelve years' old ... (130); 'When I was your age ...' (133)
• the two children did quite well. ... with the second try they got it up ...' (135)
• Malie: 'One would never have thought that he'd turn out to be such a handsome boy' (137)

Chapter 13:

• You could not just kick aside the law as it pleased you. (146)

Chapter 14:

• the wretch was scared ... he could not help but to laugh to himself ... (157)
• with every lash the wretch screamed ... (158); For every answer he gave him a lash. 'And who are you?' (159)
• '... she was used to playing in the Forest every day.' / '... The Forest is not a place for a girl on her own.' (162)
• 'I'll go and look for her.' He did not know what had made him say it ... (162)

Chapter 15:

• ... the Bible ... story about about the two women who had fought over one child (164)
• 'You would not think it was the same bird that you got from Koos.' (167)
• 'What he had on the day he got lost can make no difference. ... — you might even tell me you've kept the clothes and ... ' (171)
• '... it would have happened sooner or later.' / '... because Benjamin is a white foundling.' (174)
• ... the deep roar of a male ostrich getting ready to take his mate' (175)

Chapter 16:

• ... take care with the covering, though; think poles covered with branches and leaves ... (177); compare with p.165
• The forester turned up just before midday. (p.178)

Homework:

• Read to the end of Chapter 16 (p.183) before Wednesday 15th February

Chapter 17:

• Compare with pp.98-99 and pp.118-9

Chapter 18:

• The morning he cut the forty-first notch in the pole ... (189)
• You did not give someone's things to him ... (200)
• '... a dead elephant's calf ...' (205)

Chapter 19:

• thoughts about returning to the Long Kloof (pp.207f, 219f)
• Nina/Christina ... mouth-organ ... birds ... work in village

Chapter 20:

• twelve sons (p.224)

Homework:

• Read to the end of Chapter 20 (p.225) before Friday 17th February

Wednesday 8th February

Read chapters 8-10


Monday 6th February

Discuss contrasting natural environments in which Elias and Fiela live.
Read chapter 7 ... Benjamin's journey to Knysna
Discuss the imagery used to describe the environment through which he travels

Homework:

• Draw a chart showing the two contrasting environments between which Benjamin travels; also, the more 'other-worldly' environment through which he travels

Friday 3rd February

Continue with work set.

Wednesday 1st February

Read chapter 6.

Complete the following activities by Wednesday 8th February

1) Construct a chart comparing the different kinds of economic activities and plans in the Van Rooyen and Komoetie households.

2) Write two 'internal monologues':

• Elias after he receives the summons to the Magistrate's
• Fiela after Benjamin leaves for Knysna

Include their

• recollections of events nine years earlier
• thoughts about how their families have changed in the intervening years
• fears/hopes for the future

Try to use the kind of language and expressions they might have used.


Monday 30th January

Read chapter 4 ... identify the different kinds of economic activity/plans in Fiela's family
Read chapter 5 ...

Homework:

• finish chapter 5
• Start to chart plot of novel using graphic organiser ... three rows: one each for Fiela, Benjamin & Elias ... complete up to chapter 5

Friday 27th January

Discuss Fiela and her family

Homework: 'Compare and contrast the characters of Elias and Fiela with reference to chapters one and three.'
500-1000 words, turnitin by Monday 30th January

Wednesday 25th January

Read chapter 1 ... identify and discuss Elias and the forest community
Read chapter 2 ... identify 'Benjamin'

Homework: read chapter 3